Alaskan Tribes and Conservation Groups Sue to Block Land Exchange for Road

On November 13, 2025, Alaskan Native tribes and conservation groups filed several lawsuits against the federal government, seeking to overturn a land exchange agreement that would enable the construction of a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

The legal challenges claim the land exchange was not properly analyzed, poses risks to sensitive habitats, and could threaten migratory birds that some Alaska Natives rely on for food. The agreement, reached last month between Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and an Alaska Native village corporation, would convey about 490 acres to King Cove Corporation for a potential road corridor, while the corporation would give the refuge about 1,739 acres.

King Cove, a community of around 870 people, has long pushed for a road to the Cold Bay airport, about 18 miles away, citing it as a life and safety issue for emergency medical evacuations. However, the tribal governments hundreds of miles north of King Cove have expressed concern that the road could impact the migratory birds they depend on that stop at the refuge.

The lawsuits were filed by the Native Village of Hooper Bay, Native Village of Paimiut, Chevak Native Village, the Center for Biological Diversity, Trustees for Alaska, and Defenders of Wildlife. They argue the proposed 19-mile road, much of which would be within the refuge, could have devastating consequences for the area's sensitive ecosystems and Indigenous communities that rely on the land.